Coffee with Carma | Episode 472

In this episode, I break down three lessons on claiming authority before you feel ready. I pull them straight from the gloriously ridiculous spy spoof Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs. I also share the story of why I just renamed my own book. If you have been waiting to feel ready before you claim your authority, this episode is for you.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* How do I claim authority before I feel ready to write a book?

* Why should I write a book before I feel fully established in my business?

* What does it mean to treat a book as a uniform instead of a reward?

* How do I take imperfect action on my book without a perfect plan?

* Why did Carma rename her book from Author Ignition to Authority with Integrity?

This week’s Reserved Table tool is already live. I built it to help you take what you’ve learned this week and move your book forward over the weekend.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Inspired by the 1966 Rankin/Bass Feature Film, The Daydreamer

Coffee with Carma | Episode 471

Many experts think the right people will eventually find them. They don’t, not without help. In this episode, I share three steps that move you from wishful thinking to clear author positioning. You’ll walk away with a concrete way to stop waiting to be noticed and start being known.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* How do I build clear author positioning if I’ve been staying quiet?

* Why does AI recommend some authors and not others?

* What does it mean to say the thing no one else will say in my industry?

* How do I know if my content pillars actually reflect my author authority?

* Why isn’t “the right people will find me” a real strategy?

Ready to implement what you learned this week? Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Inspired by The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Starring Don Knotts

Coffee with Carma | Episode 470

In this episode, I share five lessons on why hesitation is costing you your authority. I use the 1966 Don Knotts film The Ghost and Mr. Chicken as my lens. You’ll see why “not ready to write a book” usually means “not ready to be seen as an authority.” You’ll learn why the story goes to whoever shows up first. And you’ll discover why courage was never about the absence of fear. If you’ve been waiting to feel ready before you claim your spot, this episode is for you.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* Why do I feel like I’m not ready to write my book?

* How do I stop someone else from claiming my expertise?

* Is courage the same thing as not feeling afraid?

* How do I start building authority before I feel fully prepared?

* What question should I ask instead of “Am I ready?”

Ready to implement what you learned this week?

Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Inspired by Batman: The Movie (1966)

Coffee with Carma | Episode 469

I love finding business lessons in the most unexpected places. Today it’s the campy 1966 superhero film, Batman: The Movie. In this episode, I share three ways to get your systems out of your head and onto paper. If your processes only live in your memory, you’ll want to hear this one.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* What is an SOP and does it have to be complicated?

* How do I turn a recording of myself doing a task into written instructions?

* Why do I keep forgetting the steps to tasks I do all the time?

* What’s the fastest way to start documenting my business processes?

* Should I cross off or highlight items on my checklist?

This week’s Reserved Table tool is already live. I built it to help you take what you’ve learned this week and move your book forward over the weekend.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coffee with Carma | Episode 468

What would happen to your business if you got hit by a bus tomorrow? In this episode, I use a 1966 caveman movie to explain why every business needs systems you can hand off. Don’t rely solely on instincts you alone understand. I share three steps for turning what you do by memory into something your team, or even AI, can pick up when you can’t. If your business only runs when you’re in it, you need this.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* What happens to my business if I’m suddenly unavailable?

* How do I turn what I do by instinct into a repeatable process?

* What’s the difference between an SOP for a human and one for AI?

* Why do I need backup systems even when my current process works fine?

Ready to implement what you learned this week? Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coffee with Carma | Episode 467

I’m celebrating my 60th birthday this month. To celebrate, I’m adding a special touch to every episode through my birthday week. Each one features films released the year I was born.

In this episode, I share five lessons inspired by Fantastic Voyage. The shrink-yourself-down-and-do-brain-surgery plot gave me an unexpected lens for talking about business systems. If you’ve ever felt like you’re improvising your way through your own business, this one’s for you.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* What can Fantastic Voyage teach me about business systems?

* Why do businesses need a plan A and a plan B?

* How do deadlines reveal what’s broken in a business?

* Why shouldn’t everyone on my team have five jobs?

* What happens when you don’t understand your own business systems?

Ready to implement what you learned this week? Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coffee with Carma | Episode 466

Have you ever tried to outline your book with the Roman numeral structure you learned in school? Did that make you feel completely stuck? In this episode, I use Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to explain why. I show you why that rigid, inherited outline might be the wrong shadow you’ve been staring at your whole writing life. I walk you through a couple of structures you can use instead. And I share why most books blend more than one. If outlining has always felt like a chore, this episode will change how you see the whole process.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* Why does the traditional essay outline feel wrong for writing a nonfiction book?

* What are some alternative ways to structure a nonfiction book?

* Should my book follow one structure or can it combine several?

* How do I choose a book structure that matches my natural way of thinking?

* Is it normal to enjoy the outlining process instead of dreading it?

This week’s Reserved Table tool is already live. I built it to help you take what you’ve learned this week and move your book forward over the weekend.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coffee with Carma | Episode 465

You may think you hate outlining. But I’ve found that what most people actually hate is the version no one taught them how to skip. In this episode, I share the three-step outlining process I use with my own books. It starts with your book promise. Then it moves into what I call a “mind storm” of ideas and stories. Finally, it ends with organizing everything into chapters you can write from. If outlining has always felt like filling out a form, this episode shows you a version that feels more like an art project.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* What is a book promise and why does it matter for outlining?

* How do I start writing a book outline if I don’t know where to begin?

* What is a mind storm and how is it different from a regular brainstorm?

* How do I organize scattered notes into a book outline?

* Can AI help with the book outlining process?

Ready to implement what you learned this week?

Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Coffee with Carma | Episode 464

If you think an outline stifles your creativity or plan to “figure out the structure later,” this episode is for you. In this episode, I bust five myths about book outlines and structure that slow down nonfiction authors. These false beliefs cost them tens of thousands of wasted words and time. I share:

* why an outline works more like a roadmap than a cage

* what really happens when you skip planning altogether, and

* why veering off your outline mid-draft is often your book telling you something important.

You’ll walk away with a clearer, less fearful way to think about structuring your next book.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* Is there one correct way to structure a nonfiction book?

* Does outlining a book limit your creativity?

* What happens if I just start writing my book without a plan?

* Can I change my book outline after I’ve published it publicly?

* Is it a problem if I veer away from my outline while writing?

Resource Mentioned:

* How to Structure a Nonfiction Book: 10 Proven Options and How to Choose

Ready to implement what you learned this week? Every Friday, Reserved Table members get a tool or resource built to help you take action on the week’s topic. Simple enough to complete over the weekend, powerful enough to move your book forward.

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public, so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I love using stories from film to make a point land. In this episode of Coffee with Carma, I draw from Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal. I use it to share an important truth for every author with multiple book ideas: Only one idea is ready to become your book right now. I walk you through:

* why your right idea already exists,

* how to recognize it among the lookalikes, and

* the validation process that proves it’s the one.

If you’ve got a stack of book ideas competing for your attention, this episode will help you figure out which one deserves your energy today.

Questions This Episode Answers:

* How do I know which book idea to write first?

* What does it mean to validate a book idea?

* Why do I have so many book ideas but can’t pick one?

* Is it bad to have book ideas I’m not writing right now?

* How do I test if my book idea will actually attract clients?

Thanks for reading Authority by Design! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Authority by Design is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.